Lots of questions for a new guy

Alright guys well I have been debating this for along time and now I have finally decided to pull the trigger and I am going to jump into the hobby. I have very very minimal experience and I understand this hobby takes time and money two resources I have. I have alot of questions and please be forgiving of my ignorance

If I wanted to run a 30G saltwater tank what kits do you recommend? By kits I mean filters, lights, ect.

What all do I need for the tank itself before I can start? (Besides live sand, and live rock, I am talking about filters or temp regulators ect)

Is there a company you perfer to use online if so why?

How long after I put live sand and live rock in the tank should I wait before introducing fish to the tank? I have heard 3 weeks and I have also heard 3 months

In your experience what are some things that you have dealt with that you wish you knew when you started this hobby?

Like I said im just a new guy and I have alot of questions but I have been wanting to find another hobby to do in my spare time besides what I am doing. Thanks in advance guys

-Travis

 

There are not any kits that I know of. Each tank is unique in what its purpose is (fish only, reef, low nutrient, high nutrient, etc), and so no one kit will work for very many. Best bet is to figure out what you want the tank to be, and what you plan to have in it. From there, that will tell you the lighting and filtration you need to meet the demands.

As far as adding fish, I waited 4 weeks after my tanks were "cycled" (able to process ammonia). Biggest thing is to take it slow!

As far as what I wish I knew, if I knew I was going to make my 55 into a reef tank, I would have setup the rockwork much differently and/or just bought another tank. I thought it was just going to be a fish only, but that quickly changed!

 

Where are you located? If you are nearby someone on here we might be able to help in person too.

 

Welcome to the hobby, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. When coming to the saltwater hobby if you have the time and money and are only looking at a 30G and have the space for something bigger as in a 90/125G I'd go bigger. For the fact your tank doesn't have quick swings in its perimeters. I would IMO have LEDS and for filtering I would have lots of live rock including a sump(with a +1skimmer) For stores online I shop at BulkReefSupply/MarineDepot/AquaCave/RapidLEDs. For Cycling a tank could be anywheres from 4-5+days to even 3 months depending. And something from me to you is research research research! When stocking a tank start off with 1 fish you want to have and base all your other fish around that.

 

I agree with corailline- just wanted to add a couple things.

I would start off with live rock, live sand, a heater, some powerheads, and lights. you will be amazed at how much stuff there is to see with just that. All sorts of critters live on live rock. I also used Nutri seawater, which you may want to consider seeing as you have smaller tanks. From there, you just need to watch and wait. Invest in a good test kit for your basic water parameters. I started with ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, and kh. Get comfortable doing these tests and confident that you are doing them properly. You can take water to most LFS and they will test for you as well so you can compare results. The results will determine how long it will be before you can start adding livestock. A basic hydrometer and thermometer will be necessary too.

I don't know of any kits- unless you wanted to buy one of the all in one tanks like the JBJ 28.

Everyone seems to have a different opinion on lights. I started out with T5's, but I recently changed over to LEDs. It is kind of a personal preference. The look of LEDs suits me better, and I have heard good things about them. To figure out what you like best spend time looking at each type of fixture.... This is going to be one of the most costly things in your setup, and the way it is lit can drastically change the look of your tank.

I use 2 Koralia nano power heads in my 20H. They work well for me.

Personally, I rarely buy supplies online, but I use the sites for research and price comparison. I'm too impatient to have to wait once I decide on something Also, I like supporting my local LFS. They rock!

Something I wish I would've known about before I started is how evil crabs can be Between one eating my yasha goby and another that bulldozed my corals I have had enough. Nothing but blue leg hermits ever again.

Good luck with everything!

 

well I do have money to buy a huge tank but the thing is I am in college and anything larger than 30 just isnt really possible in the dorms. I am looking at the 29g biocube what are your thoughts on it

And I live in Arkansas so Im sure no one lives here lol

 

also whats the best way to add salt to your tank for the first time as far as mixing amounts ect...

The reason I was looking at that tank was because it seems like it has the majority of things built into it ready to go and this tank is only going to be used for 2ish years before I get out of the dorms and get something bigger.

 

If there are no fish or inverts in the tank you can just add the water and the dry salt mix directly into the tank. Use a power head to get some flow going to assist in mixing it.

 

You have taken a very good first step in asking your questions here.Local fish stores/employees that are knowledgable and can take the time to discuss things are few and far between.